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Monday, February 21, 2011

The Rough Landing

Walking the path in my 'secret garden' just before Spring livens it with warmth and color.
Last week I didn't have a clue as to why I felt so....weird!   And, even though I was homesick on the road, I re-entered my life at home with a droopy melancholy.   I love the energy of doing the art shows, but, I miss my life after a few days.   So, I entered last week with random, out-of-the-blue crying jags and about as much ambition as an old dog sleeping on a warm bed.  The weather was windy-nipped, cold and gray and I am sure it made me feel just a bit more blah.

I tried to post on Friday but my brain was frozen; devoid of all creativity, so I bumped along to check out my blog buddies  With automated mindlessness I passed down my blog roll, clicking at what ever the little arrow landed upon.  Adrienne de Pitera's was the second blog I hit and her post was a simple one: she was highlighting a video of an old gal dancing.  In all honesty, I didn't really have the oomph to watch one of those  feel good YouTube videos but I went ahead and clicked play anyway.

The longer I watched the lower my jaw dropped as Sarah "Paddy" Jones, seventy-five year old Salsa dancer, shimmied, glided, twirled, leaped and back-bended her way across the stage.  My first reaction was, "wow how freaking cool is this fit, spunky, beautiful, naturally aged woman!"

A gradual smile began to sprout slowly across my attitudinal-sagged face and as it grew, so did a joyous feeling inside my solar-plexus.  Aha!  No matter what our age, our lives will always include challenges, like mud to wade through.  I'll bet Sarah "Paddy" Jones has had few rough landings herself.  Of course she has!  Everyone does!  Hello!!

I would like to think I am as mentally, emotionally and physically flexible as I was when I was twenty, thirty, or even forty-something.  Maybe I am.  Maybe I am more flexible.  I have had rough landings before, often after I have challenged myself to do something new and different.  But, I know if I didn't take on those challenges, I would always regret it.  I've had those regrets, and while they may not be as intense at the moment, they stick around and become like an old wart that won't go away.

It's a new week and for the most part, my routine is effortless.  I leave again on Thursday.  Back to the long flights and connections, restaurant food, hotel rooms and travel sized toiletries, meeting and greeting lines of people and smiling and talking from morning till night.  It's all part of my new routine.  It's just like learning a new dance.  And, I am doing it, dam it!

8 comments:

  1. I think it's that time of year. You're not the only one having to fight that blah feeling. But as long as we're still fighting it, I think that's the important thing!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and dropping me a comment so I could visit yours!

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  2. You are welcome and it makes me feel better to know I am not alone. Oh Spring bring it on!

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  3. I am ready for spring as well. Your new life sounds so interesting and challenging. An occasional rough landing is to be expected, I would guess.

    Love the pic of you and the way you express yourself. "Old dog sleeping on a wsrm bed" speaks to me!

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  4. Quit picking on yourself! Paddy has tired days, too.

    Good grief, girl. You have more energy than any two women combined. A touch of jet-lag and you're smacking yourself upside the head.

    I'm of the opinion (I have an opinion for everything - heh) that we should enjoy our down times. Helloooo couch and chocolates. Soon enough the wallowing will get old and we'll be our usual selves again. But, in the meantime, we will have enjoyed some extra rest, a good book, and some chocolate. What could be wrong with that?

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  5. Absolutely nothing!!! And you know, I have found, the sooner we get on with chocolates and the couch, the quicker we fling back the other way. I have been doing as much C&C as possible!! Thank you, Adrienne!

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  6. Janice,
    I really do find it interesting! Being drained goes with the territory. I am learning to accept this! Will be settling into the old routine again soon.

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  7. Hi Debra,

    It's been a rough month in our household, and I have been a little "down" lately. It's funny how you mention being flexible...I survived a couple pretty crappy things when I was younger and thought I was a really strong person back then. I was telling myself recently, "maybe if you weren't such a control freak and afraid of change you could handle this stuff better"!

    Last night I couldn't wait to go to bed and get under the covers...I can always hope for a better day when I wake up! :)

    Linda

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  8. Hi Debra - hope your mood has continued to lift as the week has progressed. I think we all suffer from droopy melancholy (great desciption!) at times; well, I know I do... all the best from over here in Oz... XXX

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